Decision time
Same day
Most requests resolved within hours of submission
Submit a request. Our doctor reviews it the same day. If approved, your prescription is dispensable at any pharmacy in Spain through REMPe. Free to apply, EUR 50 only on approval.
Leave your email and we will be in touch as soon as your request can be processed — usually the same day.
The form takes five minutes. You only pay if we can help. EUR 50 on approval.
No appointment to book. No waiting room. Submit when it suits you, hear back the same day in most cases.
The scope is deliberately narrow. We do what we can do well and at speed. For everything else, we say so immediately and signpost you to better-placed care.
Evidence dated within 12 months: pack photo, prior script, GP letter, NHS app screenshot, or pharmacy record. Same medication, same dose only.
Requests in any of these areas are declined at no charge with signposting to alternative care.
A plain-English guide to the Spanish healthcare system for travellers, expats, and anyone who needs a doctor in Spain — regardless of whether we can help directly.
Medically necessary treatment at a Spanish public hospital or health centre, at the same cost as a Spanish resident (usually free). Does not cover repatriation, private care, or ongoing non-urgent treatment.
Any Centro de Salud or Urgencias with your GHIC/EHIC and passport.
Full access to Spanish public health facilities on the same terms as Spanish nationals. Present your EHIC at the Centro de Salud or hospital registration desk.
Any public health facility. No referral needed for Urgencias.
Depends on your policy. Most cover emergency treatment; many also cover GP-equivalent consultations. Always call your insurer before presenting at a private clinic.
Your insurer will direct you to a preferred clinic. Keep all receipts.
Full access to the Spanish public health system, identical to a Spanish national. Your tarjeta sanitaria is your proof of entitlement.
Your assigned Centro de Salud for non-urgent care. Any Urgencias for urgent care.
Emergency treatment at public Urgencias is always available. Routine public care is harder until you register. Private care is available to anyone who can pay.
Register at your local Centro de Salud with NIE, proof of address, and passport.
Any private clinic will see you on a self-pay basis. GP consultation typically EUR 50–120, private Urgencias EUR 150–300+ before treatment.
Quirónsalud, HM Hospitales, and Vithas are the main private networks with English-speaking staff.
The Spanish GP equivalent. Handles non-urgent conditions, repeat prescriptions, and referrals. Walk-in availability varies by region.
Non-urgent, ongoing, prescriptionsLocated in hospitals and some health centres. Handles urgent but not life-threatening conditions. Free with EHIC/GHIC or tarjeta sanitaria.
Urgent conditions, out-of-hoursFor serious conditions, surgery, or specialist treatment. You will usually arrive via Urgencias or be referred by a Centro de Salud.
Not for minor conditionsSearch "centro de salud [your town]" or "urgencias [your town]" on Google Maps. Private network locators: quironsalud.es/en · hmhospitales.com · vithas.es
Single number for police, fire, and medical emergencies across Spain and all EU countries. English-speaking operators. Always free.
Dedicated medical line connecting directly to a medical dispatcher. In some regions merged into 112 — 061 still connects but routes through the same centre. When in doubt, call 112.
The Holiday Doctor is not an emergency service. If there is any possibility your situation is an emergency, call 112 immediately.
EU Directive 2011/24/EU means prescriptions from any EU member state are legally valid in Spanish pharmacies. UK prescriptions are no longer automatically recognised post-Brexit but many pharmacists will dispense at their discretion.
The most useful thing is to bring the original pack with the pharmacy label. Spanish pharmacists can usually identify the medication and its equivalent.
Spanish pharmacies cannot dispense controlled drugs on a foreign prescription. Contact your prescriber before travelling for a covering supply or letter.
Public emergency and medically necessary treatment is free or at the same co-payment rate as Spanish residents.
If charged incorrectly, keep receipts and apply to the NHS Business Services Authority (UK) on return.
Most policies require you to pay upfront and claim back. Call your insurer before attending a private facility.
Keep all receipts, prescriptions, and medical reports. Most insurers require original documents.
Medications on a private prescription are paid in full. Generic equivalents (genéricos) are significantly cheaper and therapeutically equivalent.
Ask for the genérico — pharmacists are required to offer it if one exists.
If your medication is in scope, we can issue a Spanish receta privada the same day — valid at any pharmacy through REMPe.
The Holiday Doctor is run by Dr Adam Abbs, a doctor registered in Spain, the UK and Ireland, with specialty training in family medicine. He is currently Medical Director International at HeliosX, the largest private GLP-1 prescriber in the UK.
Adam previously served as Clinical Director at Medicspot, where he pioneered asynchronous consultations and remote monitoring during the COVID-19 pandemic. He authored the Remote Consultations Handbook, accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners in 2020. He is a member of the World Organisation of Family Doctors' Working Party on e-Health.
The Holiday Doctor is a trading name of Doctor Abbs SL, registered in Madrid.
"I was worried about the cost, but everything was clear and upfront. My travel insurance reimbursed me quickly."
Mark — UK
"Dr Adam is very professional and kind. It was an efficient process. We travelled from the US and he made our trip less stressful."
Mary Ann — USA
"The doctor was very helpful, giving me full details on how to control the problem."
Anonymous — UK
The form takes five minutes. We review the same day. You only pay if we can help.
Start a request